News about Healthcare

The global vaccine cold chain is a branching network with myriad endpoints. In South Sudan, reporter Winnie Cirino profiled one of them.
@Francisco Venâncio on Unsplash
The call by stakeholders in the health sector for government to provide solar electric grids to power public hospitals cannot come too early. Health care institutions have not been spared of power-related problems afflicting virtually all other sectors; and the result has been catastrophic, given their life or death circumstances.
Healthcare provider Mediclinic has solar PV panels installed at 28 of its sites across the country and is gearing up to roll out a national project aimed at installing microgrids that integrate battery systems with on-site renewable energy.
Nigeria’s energy crisis has long been a glaring impediment to the development of its essential institutions, particularly schools and hospitals. In recent months, the news has been dominated by reports of public universities like Ahmadu Bello University and others being unable to pay their electricity bills, leading to power disconnections.
Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital has started reaping the benefits of a 227-kilowatt peak (kW) solar system, which saved about Sh1 million in power bills in its first month. The SHIELD project, backed by Innovate UK’s Energy Catalyst program, aims to improve energy efficiency and affordability in public hospitals across Africa.
Leveraging funding of $16 million from the World Bank, UNOPS will procure and deliver more than 300 solar kits, more than 300 hybrid inverters and more than 3,300 solar streetlights. The next phase of the project will include installing solar equipment in health centres accross the country and training on its maintenance.